Honor Thy Blade
by ganbatte
Summary: All his life he has done nothing but battle creatures in the Arena so when Syaoran concedes to make the journey to Eyeglass Lake with Sakura, things can only get interesting...


Author's Note: _Before anybody starts cursing at me for stealing SpringbloomOpal's fic, let me tell you that I _am _SpringbloomOpal. Or was. Before my account got hacked into. =( I don't think I've ever hated anybody in my life as much as I hate the person who did it. But I talked to him/her once on MSN and he/she said I 'd done something to justify his/her actions. I don't know what I could have done, but if I have done anything to offend ANY __of you, then I will say I'm sincerely sorry before any of this happens again. Furthermore, I will be more careful with information I give out in the future so please do not send me any surveys. Anyway, I think I've gone on long enough.  
Enjoy_

Summary: _All his life he has known nothing but to battle the creatures of the Arena, so when he meets Sakura for the first time there is nothing but trouble in store for the both of them as he concedes to make the journey to the mysterious Eyeglass Lake with her…AU S+S_

**Honor Thy Blade**

Proudly presented to you by: SpringbloomOpal

CCS belongs to **CLAMP: **no rights are legally mine

The deafening roar of the crowd reached its absolute maximum as the metal bars clanged open with a grating of solid metal, revealing his taut form as a cloud of dust sprang up to Syao's grubby, weather-beaten face. There were grunts and grumbles as he was pushed roughly into the arena, his bronze armour hanging uselessly apart at his left shoulder, and he gripped the gleaming well-polished blade in one firm hand, the metal plate of shield in the other.

"Good luck, eh, boy," Terada grinned, baring his yellowed teeth to their full as he patted his old friend on the shoulder and was led away by one of the metal-clad guards. "You never fail to win one!" he added from behind his shoulder, and Syaoran forced back a small grin as he heard Terada's jovial whistling from down the passageway.

Turning back to task at hand, Syaoran took a few more sure-footed strides deeper into the centre of the Arena so that the audience could get the full extent of the battle while it was happening. 

"Blood, guts and gore galore!" he smirked, eyeing the crowd with a careful eye. Most of them had turned up and those that hadn't would be sure to get a run-down from fellow marketers and family – spectators were screaming for the unbeaten Syao to perform his skills for them. 

Emperor Yue would be pleased by the ravenous spectators and their demands. He was all for the action that this type of sport ensured, and was known never to hesitate when the fans demanded bloodshed and persecution. 

0It was lucky for Syaoran that the crowd adored and worshipped him or he'd have no head to speak of, a fate similar to that of his dear old friend Takashi only a few days back. 

There was another commotion by the other side of the Arena at the other gate and the bars clanged open, then shut again as a snarling creature was prodded forward. More rowdy cheers from the excited crowd.

His eyes glittered malevolently as the creature of today's show circled him carefully, its jagged fangs bared venomously and its bright yellow eyes shining in the heat of this afternoon's blazing sun. It sized him up and down then hissed as it sprang forward dangerously, its claws sinking into the sand and ground and leaving miniscule deadly marks upon its surface. 

Sayraon jumped aside and drew out his blade, preparing himself for its attack. There was another low hiss and then a clang as claw swiped the metal of his shield, and drew back again. The next time Syao wasn't so lucky and managed to roll out of its way before there was a squelch and the Jyher found itself swiping at a dead bird, its feathers ruffled and its beak hanging open as if trying to protest at all the attention it was getting at its death.

Excited calls emanated from the stands above him and there were impatient catcalls all around. They were getting restless.

Part of what gave him his name was his ability to finish things off quickly and fast so that the crowd didn't get too impatient, and they go what they wanted. 

The Jyher lunged again and – 

Two clean strikes and it lay dead, blood gushing from its wounds, its head rolling away from the rest of it, and came to rest at Syaoran's blood-splattered bare feet, its yellow eyes staring back at him, dead and vacant.

The spectators rose to their feet with clapping magnified to a hundred, screams of approval and excitement as Syaoran bowed and once again disappeared into the dark void of the passageway.

||……………………………..||

*Clap clap* "You did me well, mi'boy," Yue grinned approvingly at the finely-strengthened boy, wiping tears of mirth from his ice-blue eyes. "The spectators _loved it, and you are now a legend among the little boys of today." He gave another round of applause and gestured for Syaoran to take a seat among the rest of the court._

Syaoran remained standing, his feet still red and bloody from that afternoon's battle, and his blade hanging at his hips precariously. "They should not deem me worthy of worship," he spoke quietly, his passionate amber eyes staring back intensely at the Emperor's own ice-cold ones. The rest of his face remained stony and expressionless, and the Emperor arched a quizzical brow, raising a goblet of wine to his lips.

"You don't find bloodshed amusing?" 

The question hung in the air, and Syao's amber eyes flickered down to his blade before answering. "I do not," he replied stonily. "If anything, it should be discouraged." 

"And yet you face bloodshed and persecution twice a week, do you not?" Yue smiled in amusement, leaning forward curiously. He laid a firm hand on Syaoran's shoulder, his fingers finely-groomed and long and slender, several gleaming rings at his knuckles. 

Syaoran scowled and swiped away the offending hand, taking two cautious steps backwards. Yue chuckled at the young warrior's animosity towards him; if anything seemed to be enjoying the display of loathing. He leaned back in his chair and took up the goblet once again.

"I do it to _survive_," Syaoran spat out. "If I had half the power you have now I would not partake in this play. If I had half the power you have now, you'd be _dead._" He spat the word out with so much venom that the Emperor drew back in distaste, and he curled his upper lip.

"Ah, but you see," Yue hissed, reaching forward as if to grab Syao's face, then seemed to think better of it. "You _don't _have half the power I do now, you _do_ partake in such play, and _I am not dead…"_

= = = = = =

"You're a pretty little thing, aren't you?" A beefy arm grabbed her around the waist and twirled her around to face him, his dirt-encrusted fingernails digging into her fair skin as a rough and calloused hand held on to her chin. "Innocent and yet to be marked." 

Keh ran the tip of his tongue across his parched lips, ignoring Sakura's terrified squeals. "Eh, dun' be scared lil one," he grinned baring teeth like a canine's. "It only hurts the _first _time…"

Sakura tried to claw her way out of the marketer's death grip and looked around desperately for a glimpse of her brother's familiar dark head. "That eager, eh?" he chuckled, his breath putrid and foul. He maintained a good hold on her as she fought to get away, whimpering as he clamped a dirty palm over her mouth. 

"Haven't you heard?" he whispered into her ear, sending frightened shivers up and down Sakura's back. "Little girls should be seen and not heard." His wet brown eyes gleamed with hunger and desire, and Sakura let out a small shriek from the depths of her vocal chords. 

_Where are you, Touya? He should have been back from Heera's Inn by now, leading Nadeshiko's and Cobalt's reins._

Breathing a sigh of relief, she spotted her brother's dark brown locks, and willed him to look her way. Sure enough, his dark orbs met hers and he rushed to her aid, handing the horses' reins to a nearby bystander and yelled at Keh to put his sister down. 

"Hey you!" he panted, grabbing the arm that imprisoned Sakura in his grip. "Let her go, I tell you."

"You an' what army?" the marketer snarled, brushing away Touya's hand while maintaining a grip on Sakura's trembling slender wrist. "I say it's finder's keepers." 

Touya's hands balled into menacing fists and Sakura just managed to duck low in time before knuckle hit jaw with a sickening crack. "And _I say let her go," Touya seethed. Stumbling forward, Sakura heard shouts and yells as the scenario drew attention to more passers-by. Keh, regaining a bit of balance, gave a growl and lunged forward, once again grabbing a hold of Sakura, his plump hands wrapped around her ankle. She let out another squeal, mustered all her strength and twisted her body around, clamping her teeth on to her assailant's hands. _

Immediately, his hands released their hold for the second time and she managed to scramble out of the way as Touya advanced forward, amidst the group of people that surrounded them in anticipation. 

"Never touch my sister _ever _again," Touya growled, pulling back his fist for yet another mind-numbing blow – 

Panicking, Sakura strained to hold her brother back, not wanting a huge argument to erupt in the middle of a public street, where strangers were most probably more unwelcome than a fellow town-marketer.

"Touya, I'm fine, really – just let it go," she whispered, reaching up to pull his arms back. A great number of the people who had gathered around them seemed to have come to their sensed and were now trying to hold both men back to no avail. Both wrenched their way out of the entanglement of people and wrestled each other to the ground, dust rising to their faces as they aimed for the other's throat.

Three piercing long whistles brought a halt to the brawl and many of the bystanders scattered out of the way, eager to escape punishment from the system. "Had nothing to do with it, Officer," Sakura heard one of the women mutter as she scurried back to her stall to bargain her pots against the rest of the market. Eventually life began again in the market area and the guard cleared his throat, signaling them to begin their explanations.

"He attacked me sir," Keh announced rather dramatically, rising from his position on the floor as he wiped himself off and gestured to his bleeding lip where Touya had struck gold. "And _she_ bit me…" He jabbed an accusing finger in Sakura's direction and she stepped back cautiously. "I was just minding me own business too."

The guard raised his eyebrows and turned to the brother and sister, the look on his face making their hearts sink in unison. Of course the guards of Henthwagen were sure to favour a member of a town than two run-aways from a faraway village – Sakura's suspicions were proven correct as another three short whistles brought more guards toward them. 

"Take them away to be pitted," the head officer ordered, and the marketer, with a smug smile drifted off to resume his business. Sakura barely had time to protest as the guards lifted her up onto their shoulders and out of the market place, and she pounded uselessly on the bronze metal of their chest plates with much fervor.

Touya, too, struggled against their hold but there was no chance for either of them to last against Emperor Yue's strongest sentinels. 

Behind them Nadeshiko and Cobalt gave loud whinnies and reared their heads, staring off into the haze of people to gaze in confusion at their masters who were slowly being led away into the dreaded Arena.

= = = = = =

"That'll teach the two of you to cause more trouble!" 

Syaoran raised his eyes as two forms were dragged toward the cell, one who could not have been any older than him and had angry tears in her emerald eyes, her jaw-length hair tousled roughly as if she had been in a scuffle. She was shoved into the cell and landed with a heap on the floor, breaking her fall by thrusting her palms out in front of her.

Her companion too seemed to have gotten worse off in the scuffle and was not allowed to enter the cell with his friend, and instead was led further down the passageway, his hands cuffed behind his back to keep him from trouble.

The boy seemed to be a bout a few years older than him and made Syaoran think twice about challenging a playful battle with him later on, if and when they met during all the rigorous training for the Arena.

It made him wonder what the two of them had done to land themselves into the Arena – he, himself had commited only a simple act as stealing a pitcher of water a few years back, but was now resigned to the fact that unless the system was changed he would be commanded to battle the creatures for the rest of his life.

The girl, though her face bruised and dirty seemed rather pretty despite the frown of resentment that brought a hardened look to her otherwise pretty features, and she brought her knees to her chest, staring angrily off into space with deep dislike. 

Syaoran exchanged a look with Terada and the rest of his cell-mates, who in turn raised amused eyebrows at the girl and whistled low enough for their fellow inmates to hear. 

Edging closer to the girl, he rested a palm on her shoulder and she gave a slight start before setting her scowling emerald eyes upon him. "I demand to be treated as an equal and not some thing you men can touch at any given moment," she retorted before Syaoran could even utter a single word to speak, and offended, Syaoran edged back away again to the raucous laughter of his supposed friends and their whistling at the girl's fiery temperament.

If he didn't know better about the fact that girls were not allowed to battle the creatures, but were rather left unarmed when they faced off, Syaoran would have bet all odds on the girl winning – beauty or not.

||……………………………..||

Syaoran glared balefully at Sakura who in turn stuck her tongue childishly out at him as they battled one on one in the area of their cell. The rest of his friends gathered around them to witness the spectacular event of he, Li Syaoran, taking on a female. 

Originally, he had thought to decline her offer but he found her taunting eyes so hard to bear that he had agreed rather defensively – it was only later that day that he had begun to have regrets about the scheduled battle, but rules were rules and once a battle had been set there was no turning back.

He just hoped that he would end this now without hurting Sakura much. After all, despite her fiery temperament and rude attitude, she was still a female and was far too fragile and delicate to have a fair chance at winning this little game. For the mean time Syaoran would just have to be fair and allow her a few jabs.

Circling her carefully, he readied his position for defense, just as he had always practiced and ignored the catcalls from his cell-mates. He barely had time to register her quick darting movements before he found himself lying on his back in complete and utter humiliation, unable to believe that a mere female had landed him there in the first place.

Terada whistled as Sakura wiped the dust from her ragged clothes and held out a grubby hand to help him up. The rest of his friends stared in amazement at the stranger and slowly began their clapping, they too amazed that this female had beaten one of the greatest of their warriors. 

With new-found respect, Syaoran accepted her hand and allowed her to help him to his feet.

= = = = = =

Did you like it? Just thought I'd ask ^_^

So then how does this fit into all that Eyeglass Lake baloney, you ask? 

Just wait and see, but I'll tip you off on a little bit.

See, Sakura, being the brave and strong girl that she is, wants to escape and find Touya so that they can resume their journey, but what happens when a certain amber-eyed battler gets caught in the middle and ends up joining them? And then there's Yue who won't be too happy when…

I hope you liked it – I actually think I did okay, even if one of my friends laughed at the idea. But hey, I figured I might as well get a second opinion, so here it is. Please give any suggestions or _anything on this story as I have no clue as to how I'm gonna set about writing it just yet!_

Thank you so much…


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